


Kith and Kin

by inksheddings



Category: Loveless
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-12
Updated: 2008-01-12
Packaged: 2017-10-17 10:04:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/175654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inksheddings/pseuds/inksheddings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kio has an idea that might just help both of his friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kith and Kin

"Soubi."

"Kio."

"We have to get him out of there. We _have_ to."

Soubi stopped short of lighting his third cigarette in ten minutes. Kio was grateful to see a little of his composure slip along with his lighter as he let it drop noisily onto the tabletop.

"I've tried, I've-"

"What? Threatened to kill her for him?"

Soubi didn't even flinch, which told Kio all he needed to know.

"Yeah, I'm sure Ritsuka reacted well to _that_ suggestion."

"He said...he won't move in with me." Soubi's voice was clear but quiet.

Kio was sure it hurt like a bitch to admit that. He was tempted to offer comfort by reminding him that Ritsuka was a very smart boy; smart enough to know that moving in with Soubi would do nothing to help either of them with their still not-quite-settled co-dependency issues. Granted, the kid was _not_ smart enough to realize that staying with his crazy mother was an entirely more dangerous form of co-dependency.

Well, he was only fourteen.

But this _was_ about Ritsuka, _not_ Soubi, even if the differentiation was often a fine line these days.

Kio took a deep breath.

"He might move in with me."

Soubi looked startled. "You'd do that?"

Kio shrugged. "I'm a far more respectable citizen than you'll ever be, so...yeah. I'd do that. And I've got the car, so if he wanted to check in on his mom it'd be easy enough for me to offer a ride and company."

And the neutral presence Soubi could never be, but Kio didn't feel the need to say that out loud.

"You've got a key to my place anyway, it's not like you two wouldn't see each other like usual. Hell, you'd probably see him _more_ ," he added, realizing he may as well be asking Soubi to move in with him too.

"He...might say yes," Soubi said, putting his cigarette in his mouth but making no move to retrieve his fallen lighter.

The fucking _hope_ in his voice made Kio's heart clench. It wasn't something he'd heard very often from his longtime friend.

Kio had been taking care of Soubi for a lot of years, never really expecting much in return. Now taking care of Soubi had the added dimension of taking care of Ritsuka, and Kio was slightly surprised to find that he didn't _want_ much in return. If Soubi could continue to sound hopeful now and then, and if Ritsuka could spend his pocket money on something other than Band-Aids...

"Yeah, he might," Kio agreed as he picked up Soubi's lighter and lit his cigarette. "He might."

 **END**   



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